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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J PENTON CHILD'S VEHICLE.

Pat ented Apr. 6, 18 97.

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JOHN FENTON, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

CHiLDS VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,970, dated April 6, 1897.

Application filed April 27, 1896.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN FENTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Childrens Vehicles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of vehicles which is designed to be used by children as a means of profitable amusement and pleasure; and it consists of a new and novel arrangement of certain devices in connection with a toy horse mounted upon wheels and a novel mechanism by which the ears, eyes, and tongue of the horse may be moved in a manner approximating that of a natural horse, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to provide such a toy as shall be useful, which may be ridden and propelled by a child, and at the same time afford innocent amusement by providing means whereby the rider may manipulate a bridle and thereby move the eyes, ears, and tongue.

A further object is to provide such a toy as may be manufactured cheaply and shall be durable and economical in use. These are attained in my invention, a reference to the drawings enabling one to fully understand the advantages and nature of the same.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation; Fig. 2, a view of the head parted vertically to illustrate the internal mechanism; Fig. 3, an end elevation of the frame supporting the crank shaft; Fig. at, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 5, a transverse sectional view on the line as a: of Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the back part of an eye with its lever connected.

In the drawings, A represents a toy horse which is made of any suitable material, preferably of wood, and of such size as is best adapted for use by children. The outside may be suitably finished in any manner desirable either by painting or covering by hair.

Serial No. 589,204. (No model.)

The rear feet are mounted upon an axle carried by wheels G at each end of the axle, or in some cases I use but one wheel, which is in such cases mounted between the rear feet. I use a forward wheel F, upon which is mounted a suitable fork H, terminating in a shaft at its upper end, which passes through the forward portion of the horse, thereby supporting it. The shaft is rotatable by means of handle-bars I, attached to the top thereof. Attached to each side of the body of the horse is a bracket B, exten din gdown ward, to which is adj ustabl y connected a hanger 0, having at its lower end a oke W which is rectan ular in shape at its inside, and in which is fitted a journal-box IV, carrying the crank-shaft K. The box W has at its outside a guideflange WV. Ateach end of the yoke is situated a screw-bolt 2', Working through the end of the yoke, the points of the screws bearing against each side of the box to retain it in any desirable position within the yoke to operate as a sprocket chain tightener. The hanger O is provided with guide-flanges j, bearing against the edges of the lower portions of the arm of the bracket B. This arm is provided with pin-holes a, through which a dowel-pin a may be inserted when adj usting the height of the crank-shaft to suit the rider. The dowel is permanently secured to the upper end of the hanger C. At the lower portion of the arm of the bracket B is a slot sufficien tly long to cover the range of the adjustable holes a. A screw-bolt h is secured in a hole through the hanger O and passes through the slot f, and a thumb-screw h on the end of the screw-bolt is used to bind the hanger and bracket-arm together to secure it when adjusted. To alter the length of the hanger, the nut h is screwed off partly, the hanger drawn away from the arm until the dowel is withdrawn from the hole, when the hanger may be raised or lowered and the dowel again inserted in one of the holes, after which the screw h is set up tight. Secured to the crank-shaft K is a sprocketwheel D, and a sprocket-wheel E is secured to the rear axle or may be attached to the rear wheel, and a sprocket-chain m connects the two sprocket-wheels.

The head M and a portion of the neck of the horse is made in halves, being joined in the center. Fig. 2 represents the inner surface of the right half, showing a portion of the head recessed, in which is situated and mounted the mechanism for operating the ears, eyes, and tongue. The tongue is made in one piece, part of which being in each side of the head, but the eye and ear of each side, together with the levers,are complete and separate in each side of the head and may be worked independently of the other side by manipulating the bridle-rein for either side, respectively. A lever L represents a bridlebit lever, to which is attached a bridle-rein J. The ear N is permanently secured to a short shaft cl, mounted in a suitable aperture, and

at theinner end of the shaft is a lever Z), having at the opposite end a crank-pin O, to which is pivotally secured one end of the link 0. The lever L is permanently secured to the shaft U, rotatably mounted in a suitable aperture in the head, and the shaft has secured at its inner end a lug 25, the point of which is in contact with the rear end of the tongue M, which is pivotally supported by a shaft Q. Above the lug 15, connected integrally therewith, is a lever T, at the upper end of which is a crank-pin V, pivotally connecting the forward end of the link 0. At the rear end of the tongue is a spring Z, held in position by a pin or screw 2', the action of the spring being to normally raise the rear end of the tongue, the forward end of which drops downward to the bottom of the mouth. The eye R has a pupil in the center of a white ground on the outside, and is secured at its inner side to a short crank-pin S or eccentricpin extended beyond the end of a shaft S, which has at its inner end secured thereto a lever g, having a slot g. A suitable plate P,

similar to an escutch'eon, having a circular hole,retains the eye in its place. Permanently secured to the link 0 is a small arm having a crank-pin e, which passes through the slot g to vibrate the lever g. By drawing upon the right rein the ear on that side is moved backward, the eye is rotated and moves slightly eccentrically, and the tongue at the protruding end is raised, and a reverse motion takes place when the rein is released by means of the spring or, anchored by means of a dowel or pin it, one end of the spring.

pressing against the arm 6. The same operations are effected in the left half of the head by manipulating in like manner the left rein. Having described my invention, what I claim as new and novel, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a childs vehicle, the combination with the body suitably mounted, of the halved head having the recesses therein connecting the mouth-aperture and adapted to conceal actuating mechanism, the tongue M pivoted in the mouth-aperture, the ears N mounted on shafts journaled in said head and having at the inner end thereof the lever 11, the shafts S having at their inner ends the levers g provided with the slots g and mounted in said head, the eccentric-pins S atthe outer ends of said shafts S, the eyes R movably mounted on said eccentric-pins, the bridle-bit lever L mounted on a shaft having at its inner end a lug pressing downward against the rear end of said tongue and the upwardly-extending lever T connected pivotally by the link 0 connected at its opposite end pivotally to the lever b, the arm and pin 6 secured to said link and working in said slotted lever, the spring pressing rearward against said pin 0 with suitable rein connecting said lever L subtantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN FENTON.

lVitn esses: I

JOHN S. THURMAN, E. T. SILvIUs. 

